By Libya Herald reporter.
Derna, 20 November 2013:
Derna was left without electricity for much of today after a bomb attack early this . . .[restrict]morning on its thermal power plant. Four members of the volunteer security service guarding the plant, located some five kilometres west of the town, were injured in the blast. It caused by a parcel bomb which exploded at around 6 am. There was substantial damage to buildings.
The town was left without power until 8 pm this evening.
The supply may again be cut tomorrow. Power plant staff are reported as planning to go on strike in in protest over the fact that no official state organisations are operating in the town at present. They want the restoration of state security in the town. The Derna Security Directorate nor the municipal guard are at present non-functional.
Derna comes a close second to Benghazi in the number of security officials who have been murdered or been targeted by killers this year.
Just yesterday morning, a gunmen tried to kill Libyan army Colonel Mohamed Tashani in Derna as he took his son to school. He was seriously wounded and rushed to hospital where he is in intensive care. His condition is said to be stable. It is the second time this year that Tashani has survived an assassination attempt. It is understood that before the revolution, Tashani was in charge of the army’s Azouz Training Centre. He is now deputy head of Derna Military Council.
Also yesterday morning, there was a bomb explosion at the local branch of the Ministry of Social Affairs, according to the LANA news agency. No one was hurt but the building was heavily damaged and most of its contents burned.
Just over a week ago, in two separate attacks, the cars of former Derna security personnel were blown up, leaving both drivers injured. [/restrict]
